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Infertility, Fertility treatment

Navigating the World of Fertility

[By] Cryos International Sperm Bank and Egg Bank | 3/7/2019
fertility acronyms

At Cryos we understand that it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the fertility terminology when you first begin your journey. That is why we put together a list of the most commonly used fertility abbreviations and acronyms to make this process more welcoming for you.

Commonly Used Fertility Abbreviations and Acronyms and What They Mean

Let's start at the beginning:

  • AMH: Referring to the AMH (anti-Mullerian hormone) test which tests your ovarian reserve levels
  • BFP: Big Fat Positive – A positive pregnancy test
  • BFN: Big Fat Negative – A negative pregnancy test
  • BBT: Basal Body Temperature. BBT is the recording of you lowest body temperature and it is taken in the morning before you get out of bed. When testing for ovulation you are looking for a spike in BBT.
  • BW: Bloodwork. Used to test different hormone levels.
  • CM: Cervical Mucus. Secreted by glands in the cervix, cervical mucus changes consistency in response to hormones.
  • CMV: Cytomegalovirus. A very common infection that the majority of adults will have by the time they are 40. CMV positive donors are donors who have antibodies for CMV, indicating they have had it in the past but do not have an active infection. If you are CMV positive, you can choose either a CMV positive or CMV negative donor. If you are CMV negative, you should choose a CMV negative donor.
  • CD: Cycle Day. Tracking cycle days helps to narrow down your ovulation window.
  • DE: Donor Eggs. Used by women who are unable to conceive with their own eggs but are still able to carry a child in their uterus. Surrogates who carry for other parents can do this with donor eggs.
  • DPO: Days Past Ovulation
  • DPR: Days Post-Retrieval. The number of days since you’ve had an egg retrieval.
  • DPT: Days Post-Transfer. The number of days after an embryo transfer.

There's more!

  • ED: Egg Donor or Egg Donation
  • ER: Egg Retrieval. After collecting eggs from the ovaries the IVF lab receives them.
  • ET: Embryo Transfer. This occurs through IVF when they place the embryo in the uterus.
  • EWCM: Egg White Cervical Mucus. A term commonly used to refer to the consistency of cervical mucus when you are about to ovulate or are ovulating.
  • FM: Fertility Monitor. Used to detect ovulation by tracking hormones.
  • FSH: Follicle-Stimulating Hormone. The brain releases FSH and stimulates egg follicles to grow every month.
  • HCG: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. A hormone produced during pregnancy and detected in pregnancy tests.
  • HSG: Hysterosalpingography. HSG tests evaluate female fertility according to the shape of the uterus and Fallopian tubes.
  • ICI: Intra-Cervical Insemination. Also known as home insemination, ICI involves placing the sperm near the cervix and can be done at home without the assistance of a physician.
  • ICI-ready: Unwashed sperm that is suitable for the home insemination (ICI) procedures. ICI-ready sperm is not for for clinical procedures like IUI and IVF.
  • ICSI: Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection. A single sperm is selected and injected directly into the center of the egg.
  • IUI: Intrauterine Insemination. IUI occurs at a doctor's office and involves placing sperm directly into the uterus.
  • IUI-ready: Washed sperm that is suitable for all clinical procedures, like IUI and IVF. You can also use IUI-ready sperm for home insemination.
  • IVF: In Vitro Fertilization. In IVF treatment, the egg and sperm are fertilized in a petri dish and then transferred to the uterus.

Even More Fertility Abbreviations:

  • LH: Luteinizing Hormone. Produced in the pituitary gland and a rise in LH triggers ovulation.
  • LH-Surge: When your Luteinizing Hormone peaks sharply, indicating that you will ovulate within an average of 36 hours. The LH Surge is what Ovulation Predictor Kits test for.
  • MOT: Number of millions of motile (moving) sperm per ml. Cryos sperm straws are ½ ml. As an example, a MOT10 is guaranteed to have a minimum of 5 million motile sperm per straw – up to 9.5 million motile sperm. A MOT20 is guaranteed to have between 10 – 15 million motile sperm per straw.
  • OPT: Ovulation Predictor Test. OPT predicts when ovulation will occur by measuring your LH and when the LH-surge occurs.
  • OPK: Ovulation Predictor Kit. OPK predicts when ovulation will occur through measures of your LH and LH-surge occurs.
  • RE: Reproductive Endocrinologist. A gynecologist that specializes in fertility and infertility treatment.
  • SA: Semen Analysis. Evaluates a man’s semen sample to provide sperm count and motility information.
  • SMC/SMBC: Single Mother by Choice
  • TTC: Trying to Conceive. Actively attempting to get pregnant.
  • TWW:  2 Week Wait. The time between ovulation and your expected period.

Contact Cryos

If you have any questions we are here to provide answers, you can also read more on the subject of womens fertility and egg quality, by following the link to our blog post on the subject. Give our Customer Care Team a call Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. -9 p.m. (ET) at (407) 203-1175 or email us at [email protected].

We are also available to answer questions on our live chat system via our website.

Cryos looks forward to helping make your family dreams come true! 

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